Art Institute of Chicago Designates Douglas Druick Director

Douglas Druick, the newly named director of the Art Institute of Chicago. (Photo: Art Institute of Chicago)

The Art Institute of Chicago announced today that it is tapping one of its own, curator Douglas Druick, to be its next director, filling the position that been vacant since James Cuno departed in May of this year to become the head of Los Angeles’s J. Paul Getty Trust. Mr. Druick has been acting as director since the start of July.

“As we looked for a new director, the search committee kept returning to Douglas’ experience, intellect, and vision for the museum,” Art Institute chairman Tom Pritzker said in a statement released to press.

Mr. Druick, 66, joined the museum 26 years ago and has recently led the prints and drawing department there. He has been involving in organizing shows of work by Jasper Johns, Gauguin, Cezanne, Odilon Redon and other Impressionist and Modern artists.

In 2009, the Art Institute unveiled a new building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano. In an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Druick said that, while he has no immediate plans to begin another expansion project, “museums have to continue to think about the future.”

With today’s announcement, Mr. Druick becomes the 11th full-time leader in the history of the institution, which was founded in 1879 and today houses a collection of more than 300,000 works.